The Special People
by BelladonnaMerc
Summary: "This is not how 'make yourself at home' works, Legolas. Point Break brings home a girlfriend plus the girlfriend's intern, Steve brings home a HYDRA assassin, little miss spider has a cat that comes and goes as it pleases, and Bruce brings home a friend from the old days and I've learned to get over all of it, but you cannot bring a random child you found on the street here."
1. Chapter 1

Jack felt himself swaying against his will. His bare chest pressed against something soft and warm. The swaying was rhythmic while a hand began to rub against his back and gentle humming began. Kevin was holding him in his bony arms and in his lap.

"Kevin…"Jack found his tongue thick in his mouth, "are we on a boat?" He wouldn't be surprised if they'd ended up on a boat somehow, Kevin's plans were erratic. As far as Jack was concerned they could be halfway to Indonesia by now.

_Where's my shirt? _

Kevin's chest rumbled with laughter, "no baby we're in a rocking chair, I got a new one for our new home." His hand began to play with the hair on the back of his neck which had been standing up straight since he woke up.

"Why?"

His hand went over his mouth before he could say anymore, "Don't talk baby, you're more cooperative that way."

"Kevin...please."

_No, not again. _His eyes burned with tears. Kevin's other hand had reached up to grab his cheeks and squeezed his mouth shut. Jack wanted to bite his hand in retaliation more than he wanted breath in air, but he wouldn't force Kevin's hand when he'd been drugged. He'd be more defenseless than stared out the window and wished with all his might he could burst through the glass and bolt, down the street, around the bend, anywhere. Kevin brought his face up to look him in eyes and the window was gone.

"Me and Wyatt cooked this stuff up for you in the lab," Kevin picked up a bottle of pills with a glint of pride in his eyes and smug smile. "It'll help with your anxiety, see it's working you've been sleeping all day." Jack wanted to shrink away from the spindly fingers that brushed away his tears. "It'll be okay Jackie, I'll take good care of you just like I always have."

Kevin muttered a sloppy goodnight while his hand patted Jack's chest good naturedly, it made him feel like some sort of pet. He turned over, but Jack couldn't move. He held his breath hoping that he'd fallen asleep already, he waited expectantly for Kevin to fly up from his bed and realize he'd only tied one of his hands around the bedpost. Breathing heavily on his side, snoring lightly, Kevin was certifiably dead to the world Jack decided. If he wanted to he could stab him to death and part of Jack believed he wouldn't wake up. The shock over took his pain; if he could untie the rope then today would be the day he made his escape. Jack's fingers went to work on the taut rope immediately. If he hadn't known any better he'd believe Kevin was a Boy Scout before they'd met, it's the only way he'd be so good at tying knots.

The rope loosened a fraction, maybe someone did care or at least was listening to what most people would assume is a prayer. His other shoulder was dislocated. The shoulder looked disfigured, a small hill was present where the bone had popped out. Jack whimpered at the sight of it before moving on; he'd have to pop it back in later somehow, he thought. He tugged at the rope when he felt it loosen a little and took a peek at Kevin before continuing to do the same motion. Unravel, tug watch. Unravel, tug, watch.

Jack brought his arm down slowly and began stumbling on his hands and knees in the darkness. The boy felt the smooth wood floor until he his hands crumbled around his only other possession besides his shirt and jeans, a pair of crocs. In the middle of January it would have been great to find a jacket as well, but he couldn't always be so lucky.

This wasn't a planned decision, it just something about tonight Jack decided. Jack decided while the window of opportunity was still open he'd take it and run. By time he'd gotten to the bedroom door he could wobble. He slinked down the stairs crouching quietly and sliding until he met the front the door. Jack was cautious. A new house meant new creaky floors at their old house he'd never made it to the front door without someone pulling him back. Tonight had to be the one.

Without taking a look back he bolted. He'd never run so fast and anyone watching would believe he had hellhounds on his heels. Kevin could still be asleep, Kevin could have woken up but it didn't matter as long as he kept running. He'd never run down the streets of New York before and he zipped through the crowds of people, tears streaming from the biting wind. For a brief moment he believed he was a bolt of lightning. His feet slammed down on the freshly fallen snow that would soon begin to pummel the city.

He was painfully aware of every New Yorker near him except the one right in front of him.


	2. Chapter 2

Before he could catch himself he found his palms scraping against the ground and his head hitting the pavement with a loud thwack. Jack bit his lip hard enough to draw blood when his shoulder connected with the ground, but his reflexes weren't fast enough to keep him grabbing for it. For a minute or two he laid on his ass trying to catch his breath until he realized the man was still standing over him rubbing his side where he'd run full force into him.

He looked up at the man expecting his angry face instead it was stranger, relief flooded his body. It was just a regular man and he wasn't angry, he looked very concerned. Why was he talking to him?

Jack looked at him with confusion in his eyes; _why is he so concerned?_

"You okay, kid?" The man looked at his shoulder then up to his face like he was searching for wounds.

Jack knew he looked disgusting; he was filthy, fresh blood on his lips and a swollen black eye. The man offered him a hand to get up on, despite knowing better Jack refused to take it. It would have been more convincing in making himself look like he was alright if he had stopped holding his shoulder and took his hand like any normal trusting child would. It was already too late for that though and he learned it was never wise to accept anyone's hand. Jack muttered a quick apology and sidestepped the man before he could see anymore of him and cause a scene. The last thing he needed was an adult trying to stop him and send him back where he came from.

Clint watched the boy walking away quickly with a sinking feeling in his chest that he shouldn't let this happen. Whatever it was gave him a feeling in his gut that told him he wouldn't be able to sleep for the next three days, at the least. "This is what I get for taking a walk at 3 AM." The archer rubbed his face tiredly before calling out to the boy."Hey, kid! Wait a sec!"

He watched as the little boy shuffled back over to him with his head down low as if he'd been caught red handed. "Y-yes…sir?" Clint raised an eyebrow, he knew it was polite to call people older than you 'sir,' but what kid actually did that nowadays, especially a little kid?

"You're holding your shoulder, are you sure you're okay? I don't want to send you on your way if you're hurt." Clint got a better look of the youngster this time, to top off his battered appearance he was unhealthily pale and too thin for it to just be the result of an active child with a high metabolism. The kid was so thin it was heartbreaking.

Jack avoided his eyes when he answered, "I'm fine…" He didn't dare try to walk away from the man out of fear of what would happen to him if he did. Some deity hated him, that he could leave Kevin and run into this man. Out of the pot into the fire, as they call it.

"Why are you out here? It's three in the morning," Clint paused, "better question: where's you're jacket? It's January in New York, you must be freezing to death." Jack tried his best to stop himself from shivering if only to prove a point to the man that he was perfectly fine and that he could go to bed with a peace of mind.

He looked at the man and set his jaw,"why are _you_ out at three in the morning?" Kevin would have beat the living shit out him for giving anyone so much lip; he prepared himself for a slap or least some sort of verbal lashing.

Clint's scowl turned into a smile at the small child's cheeky response."To be honest I don't know why I'm out; I just felt like I needed to take a walk." His smile widened even farther when the little boy looked at him with confusion in his eyes, as if he was expecting a different answer. He paused, "here, kid." Jack flinched when the man shed his jacket and placed it on him without warning or saying a word. The man moved back with a satisfied smile as he zipped up the massive jacket and pulled the hood over his spiky blonde hair. You could tell he was trying his damnest to keep his teeth from chattering and his lips were turning bluer by the second. It wasn't a long walk back to Avengers Tower he'd be fine despite the fact that the snow had really begun to fall a bit faster. "So...where are you going now then, kid?"

He shrugged and winced, "...home." He lied.

The man nodded, "you know you still haven't said why you were out at three in the morning."

"Why do you care?" He said heatedly.

Jack saw the man's eyebrows go up to his hairline, he chuckled, "you are one hell of kid aren't you? You're what? Six? Seven? And you're alone at three in the morning in the middle of Manhattan, you're hurt, you obviously have a bad fever on your hands and it looked like you were running away from something not towards it." Clint paused, "Now, if I didn't know any better I'd think you've gotten yourself into a bit of trouble, right?"

Jack nodded out of fear of what would happen if he didn't respond.

"Can I ask what kind of trouble?" As if his bruised face wasn't telling enough.

Jack shook head quickly, "it don't matter no more."

The wind started blowing harder and they both shivered.

"Is there anywhere I can take you? I don't think you should be out here by yourself."

The little boy shook his head, "I'm okay."

"Are you sure because there's plenty of room where I live, I just don't want you to get caught out here in the snow."

_Oh no...not again, please… _Why does he even pray to these people, no one's listening? It took all of his power to keep from hyperventilating, the last time he took such an invitation…was a mistake.

Clint saw the fear in the boy's eyes grow, "you don't have to if you don't want to." He really didn't want to get this kid to start bolting like he was before, Clint wasn't sure if the boy's body could handle any more running.

The little boy looked up at him and took a small step back, "I'm fine, leave me alone."

Clint sighed, even he was starting to get ridiculously cold at this point. "One night and then you're in the wind, I promise."

He should have never stopped, he should have kept running. If he'd kept running it would have never gotten so cold, he would have been safe by now and he would have at least one better option. Jack looked at him skeptically, "you'll let me leave?"

"_Yes." _The man emphasized. Jack couldn't understand why he wanted him out of the cold without any other ulterior motives.

"As soon as this storm is over y-you'll let me go?"

The man huffed in frustration, "_yes, _now c'mon it's colder than a frost giant's ass out here." Jack gave in with quiet, "fine…" and allowed the man to put him on his back to take him back to his place.

Jack looked up to see where they were going. They were standing directly under Avengers Tower and the man hadn't stop walking. He'd only sparingly heard of the Avengers from Kevin flicking channels. He knew Thor and Iron Man and the Hulk, but he'd never seen them either. Kevin told him he couldn't watch the news when they were on, they're 'bad influences.' Jack remembered rolling his eyes at that.

"I'm Clint Barton, what's your name?"

"J-Jack...Mercy-Walsh." He whispered back into his ear.

"Alright Jack, it's nice to meet you." The ma-Clint replied cheerfully.

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><p><strong>Sorry if there were any errors before, something happened and it seems some words disappeared...hehe...not that anyone sees this anyways...well...actually...<strong>


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